Belfast Is The Second Most Affordable ‘Uni Town’ In The UK

It’s that time of year- A-level results are in and the universities spaces are being filled.

Those set to commence Queen’s University will probably be pretty pleased to hear that it’s reportedly the second cheapest university town to live in.

Indeed, in a list of the top 50 most affordable cities in the UK for uni, Queen’s came an impressive second place.

In the latest survey Marbles.com has compiled a list of the top 50 cheapest university towns.

But instead of concentrating exclusively on the academic and social benefits of each university, the innovative new survey have based the affordability on the cost of weekly rent, travel, a pint, kebab and social activities such as the cinema and gym.

Despite coming in at second overall, Belfast actually performed the best in terms of weekly rent – coming in at an average of just £89.77. This is compared to SOAS, University of London, which costs a staggering £212 per week in rent alone.

Meanwhile, it was found that a week-long gym membership would cost an average of £12.50, whilst those based in Surrey (Guildford) should expect to spend £26.60.

The typical cinema cost in Belfast (excluding Crazy Tuesday’s!) is £5.55, whilst the cost of travel at £51 may seem high, but seemed fairly average based on its 49 fellow university towns.

Perhaps most importantly though, the price of a pint – at an average of £3.50 – actually seemed pricey enough compared to the competition.

In fact, whilst we might expect London universities to cost more (it’s an average of £4 a pint), the cheapest is a seriously budget-friendly £2.50 – which is all it costs for a cold one in Keele (Keele university Campus).

Guess we’d all better head to the Queen’s Students Union for their epic beer offers! Freshers will also want to try Lavery’s for their Beer of the Month, as well as Loteria for their 2 for 1 Cocktail nights!